The best approach is to minimise waste as much as possible. This means making smart, conscious, and sustainable purchasing decisions (or not purchasing at all) and extending the lifespan of existing products and resources through reuse, repair, and refurbishment.

Good examples of this include the use of disposables and the reuse of furniture at VU Amsterdam. As of July 2023, we have discontinued the provision of free disposable cups. Reusability is the norm, and "bring your own" is the starting point. This significantly reduces waste; we used around 1.4 million cups per year!

We are also strongly focusing on a more circular approach to furniture in the coming years. The goal is to use less new furniture and instead refurbish and prolong the use of existing furniture. Our contractual agreements are based on this approach.

We view the waste we produce as valuable raw materials and aim to collect it separately as much as possible.

In the coming years, we will significantly increase the separation rate. We’ll do this by separating waste more effectively at the source. We currently collect about 30 different waste streams, both publicly and behind the scenes. Examples include: plastic packaging and beverage cartons (PMD), paper/cardboard, coffee grounds, food scraps, returnable containers, glass, wood, metal, bulky waste, yard waste, and residual waste.

You’ll find the waste stations in logical locations, such as near a large lecture hall, by the coffee machine, in the central lobby, and on the campus plaza. In the lab areas, special waste rooms have been set up, equipped with roll-off containers and safety cabinets for storing chemical waste. All waste bins are marked with an icon indicating the type of waste they are intended for. If you’re unsure, dispose of it in the general waste or ask the FCO Front Office.

Recycling is the guiding principle for all waste streams that we collect separately. Only when recycling isn’t possible is the material used to recover energy. This means that this waste can be incinerated to generate energy. In this way, we strive to process all our waste as sustainably as possible. Below are two examples.

Tissue Collection
In 2024, a pilot project was conducted in the Main Building and Transitorium to separately collect tissues from the restroom areas. This was successful: the collected material was used to make ceiling panels. We are now exploring other ways to apply this. See also the article in the trade journal on tissue recycling (February 2025).

Coffee Grounds
We have started the separate collection of coffee grounds. The coffee grounds collected from the Main Building, W&N, and NU are picked up by Maas in separate containers and processed by PreZero. This also applies to coffee grounds from the Spar. The collection is going so well that we’re expanding it to other buildings and other food service and retail locations.

Try to prevent waste as much as possible, for example, by bringing your own cup, printing sparingly, and being frugal with your belongings.

You can also contribute by separating waste at the VU whenever possible. You will find more and more waste collection stations for separate collection at the VU in the near future. We are replacing general waste bins with waste stations for separate collection as much as possible. You will find these waste bins/stations in central locations, such as the pantry/coffee machine area, open workspaces, or near lecture halls. This primarily involves confidential paper, cardboard/paper, plastic, beverage cartons (P/D), and general waste. In the lab areas there are separate waste rooms, meant for the collection of company and hazardous waste, such as chemical waste and specific hospital waste (SZA).

Read more about where you can dispose of different types of waste at Waste disposal.